Bloodlines
by Paige Parry
Summary: Claire Rousseau accepted the gift of her family legacy from the father she hardly knew. Four years later, she moves to Ipswich to uncover her past.
1. The Beginning

**Please be gentle. This is not my first written, but it is the first I have ever posted. Please R&R.**

*AN: I have just posted character pics in my profile if your curious!*

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Covenant or its characters. I only claim the idea for this story, Claire, Elizobeth and Archard._

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**The Beginning**

Thirteen year old Claire Rousseau sighed as she stared out the back window of her mother's SUV, watching the busy New Orleans city streets slowly transform into the languid Louisiana country side.

Elizobeth glanced into the rear view mirror at her young child.

"He is excited to see you, hun…" she started, trying to mask the pain and sorrow from her voice.

"Yeah, right… If he is so excited, why is this the second… no, _third_ time I have seen him since left us… _SIX _years ago?" interrupted Claire with resentment.

"There are circumstances… beyond either of our control…" Elizobeth's voice broke as she looked her daughter in the eyes. Those amber eyes, so much like her father… Her chest tightened as she thought of the premise to the day's "visit" to her ailing husband.

Claire rolled her eyes and mumbled a gruff "Whatever", refocusing her gaze to the small trees and bushed flying past her window.

Elizobeth stared at the long road ahead of her. She knew these roads like the back of her hand. So many times she came out here, to the old Rousseau plantation house, to be alone, just the two of them, Elizobeth and Archard. The long nights of talking, the nights of passion…. Those were the happiest times of her life.

Her light eyes darkened and her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as she remembered the years of heartache and betrayal that would soon follow. How her relatively small world would be shattered by his families secrets, by the century-spanning, long standing pact between the other French families…

"The Covenant." she thought bitterly. About two handfuls of families from Europe and France came to this country 300 some-odd years ago. Half of them stayed in the New England area, while the French eventually ended up here, in Louisiana. She knew the stories all to well. The witch-hunts that plagued the families up north…. Nothing like that ever happened down here,

_Thank god. _

She had heard, only in passing, of the other families involved in the pact. None of the others exist here anymore; only her family now, only her husband. She was relieved that she never a son. She never thought she would have to worry about dealing with the supernatural, beyond her husband's dealings.

Elizobeth sighed deeply, almost relieved as she pulled in to the long winding drive to the old house. The large plantation house slowly came in to view as they got closer. She slowly came to a stop in front of the large deck separating them from the front of the manor.

Elizobeth unhooked her seat belt as she keyed off the car's engine.

"We're here, Claire." She stated, glancing back at her distant daughter. "I want to you to be nice. You need this time to be with him. He has some things to tell you… to ask of you, before he … passes. That is the real reason we are here."

Claire balked at her mother's last statement. "Passes? He's dying? You brought me here to see my father on his deathbed?!" Claire was beyond angry; partly because of what her mother just said and partly because she was now confused about this situation. Her father, whom she hasn't seen in four years, is now DYING. Should she be angry no one told her, upset even?

"I just wanted you to be aware of what to expect when you go in here. Take a few minutes, sit here and prepare if you like. Then come in… and please try to be polite." Claire watched as her mother left the vehicle and started towards the front door.

Claire remembered what her father looked like when she last saw him. Dark hair, the light skin, his defined features, broad shoulders and confident demeanor, the amber colored eyes. She did not remember a sick man.

Claire wrapped her arms around her torso as she thought of the "good times" she had with her absentee father. The long days spent walking in the fields; picking fresh flowers to bring back for her mother, while being told their ancestral tales. Tales full of magic and mystery, those were her favorite. In the back of her mind, she always knew her father was… different.

She remembered her father leading her into a small meadow where the wildflowers grew unchecked. She remembered the rainbow colors of the butterflies that would mysteriously appear every time they were there. She just knew that Daddy brought the butterflies to her. She never even thought twice about the strange flashes, almost like a ring of fire that darkened her father's eyes. His face was always kind, even when his eyes were as black a charcoal.

"_Mon petit papillon_" he would say.

Claire grinned slightly at the memory. That was their little secret. The butterflies and the use of his powers. "I was his little butterfly." She thought.

"_Mon petit papillon_", Claire whispered. "_Mon petit papillon_". She took a deep breath and ran her hand through her dark wavy hair. She opened the car door and stepped out.

Claire was a little stunned by the house that stood before her. It was much bigger than she remembered. The shutter-covered windows looked like giant eyes staring down at her, intimidating her. She slowly made her way up the half broken steps to the dark, paint-chipped front door.

Claire slowly cracked the door open a bit. She stopped when she heard her mother's voice. She could tell she was nervous … and irritated by the tone of her voice. She peered into the house, seeing her mother pace back and forth in the room off to the left. She could not see her father well from this angle, only the side of his face.

"Ellie," She heard a deep, lightly accented, raspy voice address her mother. "I have to try. I cannot let this power die with me. There are none of us left."

"This… power … is what got you here!" she accused. "And you want to put that on your daughter?! Your 13-year old DAUGHTER!?"

Archard's frail body was racked with hacking cough. "She is strong enough! I've left her my books, _THE_ book. Everything she'd need to know is written in that book. This… is… her… our legacy."

"But it might not even work! And you would have wasted your life for nothing… Archard, please!" Elizobeth begged at her husband side.

"_Powers?_" Claire thought. "_Strong enough for what?!_" Claire strained against the door to hear the rest of the conversation. She pressed against the door making it creak loudly. She froze, a silent "o" plastered on her face.

"Claire?" asked her father. "Please, come. I must see you."

Claire slowly opened the door the rest of the way and walked toward her mother. She kept small distance from where her father was sitting. What she saw before her was a fraction of the man she remembered.

His skin was wrinkled and looked like tanned leather. His hair was thin and as white as snow. His shoulders were hunched over and his hands were like white spiders.

"Wha..?" Claire asked in disbelief. "How can this be? This can't be my father!"

Archard reached out his long fingers to take her hand. Claire pulled away quickly, unsure of what he wanted. Hurt flashed across his old, amber eyes. Claire immediately gasped as she looked deep into his eyes, his amber eyes.

He nodded slightly to Elizobeth. "I'll just go wait in the other room…" she responded. Claire looked worriedly after her mother as she silently backed out of the room, apprehension written all over her face. "Listen to him." She mouthed to her daughter before she disappeared from sight.

"Claire," her father started; his voice weak with age. "I'm so sorry you have to see me like this… And with what I have to ask of you." Claire stood silently before him as he continued. "Do you remember those stories I told you when you were little, about my ancestors?"

Claire nodded.

"So you know now that it is all true?" Archard asked gently.

"I think I have always known." Claire whispered.

Archard chuckled at her statement. "You were always perceptive, my dear." Archard was taken by another round of coughing. Claire stepped forward to her father and gently grasped his hand.

"Claire," he continued. "I'm dying. When I die, these powers will go with me. I know I wasn't there for you. I left because I didn't want you to see what there powers were doing to me." He took a deep breath and looked his daughter in the eye.

"I want you to know that I never stopped loving you, _mon petit papillon."_ Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes as her said her name. "Which I why I must ask this of you."

Claire said nothing and waited for him to continue.

"I want to give you my powers. I know you will treat them differently than I, myself, did. I have gathered my most important books for you, they have been sent to your house in the city. You MUST promise me that you will read these books. Memorize them, for they hold the key to handling the powers."

Claire began to shake her head. "I… I… don't…"

"Claire, please. Let this be my last gift to you, please."

Silence.

"What do I do?" she asked, giving in.

Archard sighed with relief. "I just want your permission."

"Fine, you have it." She replied.

"You have to say it." Elizobeth said as she stepped back into the room. "If you really want him to do it, you must say it." The tears in her red-rimmed eyes began to spill over.

"Mom," Claire began.

"Just say it, Claire." Elizobeth ordered.

Claire looked questioningly at her mother and then to her father.

"I give you my permission."

Archard slowly closed his eyes. "Ellie…" he asked. Elizobeth slowly walked over the side of her husband and grasped his cold hand. He asked her to help their daughter after the transfer, keep her focused and remind her constantly about the affects of the powers.

Elizobeth silently nodded and kissed the back of her husband's hand as he began speaking.

"Claire, I do not know how this will affect you. I don't if you will get the full powers right off or if you will have to ascend, like the rest of us."

"Ascend?" Claire questioned.

"Your mother will explain everything after." He replied quickly. "You will be the last of us left, Claire. And if this works, you will be the first as well. The first woman in our bloodline to ever have these powers. The last and the first, my dear."

Elizobeth choked back a sob as Archard cupped her cheek with his hand, one final caress.

Claire looked at him intensely. "And?" She asked, glancing quickly at her mother.

"Once the transfer is complete… I will die. The power is my life force; it will be your life force." Claire's eye widened as he spoke. He continued roughly before she could interrupt him. "You already agreed!"

"But.." she started wide-eyed.

"NO! I can't live like this anymore! I am nothing but a shell." The outburst set off another round of body racking coughs. "I must do this now. I don't think there is much time left, anyway, my dear."

Thunder began to rumble outside the fragile mansion. The sky darkened and cast an inky gloom over the entire study. Only the fireplace's warm glow cast a soft flickering light across the room.

Claire looked around, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light. Her eyes settled on her father. His amber eyes were as black a night. "It is time." He said confidently. "Remember, I love you both so dearly."

Lighting flashed across the dark sky, thunder cracks shook the house.

"I will… ". He began. Claire felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and her mother gasped.

"You…". Electricity flowed through the air. Elizobeth stood quickly and moved towards the door. Claire attempted to follow but Archard kept a hold of her hand.

"My power!"

So many things happened at once, but it played out in slow motion. Claire was forcefully thrown back from her father; their hands ripped apart in an instant. A bright purple lightning bolt shattered through the side window and struck her in the chest, surrounding her body in a vibrant violet light. Claire's body arched back painfully as violet strings spun themselves through every part of her body, lifting her off the floor.

Claire's screams were almost inhuman, intensifying to almost unbearable point. Archard watched, horrified at what he saw and immediately regretted his decision.

"CLAIRE!" Elizobeth screamed as she ran towards her daughter with the arms outstretched. The violet bands shot out and knocked her unconscious across the room before she could even get close to her daughter.

Slowly, the violet bands moved up Claire's body, weeding through her every cell, infusing her body with the magic of her bloodline. As the light began to fade, so did her screams. Claire slowly began to descend to the floor. The last of the violet bands faded from her body and she reached the floor. Her head lolled to the side, a ring of violet-hued fire blazed in her eyes before turning a deep inky black.

Archard began to feel light-headed and his eyes were heavy. His vision was dimming, slowly becoming blurry. An overwhelming sense of peace because to fill his body and he knew it had worked. His power had been transferred. His bloodline was intact, preserved. His eyes glazed over and he let out his last breath.

It was done.


	2. Ipswich

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Covenant or its characters. I only claim the idea for this story, Claire, Elizobeth and Archard._

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**Ipswich**

..._Four years later..._

"Ipswich, finally…" Claire Rousseau said to herself as the greyhound bus pulled into the bus station. Claire sat up in her seat and wound her long wavy brown hair into a messy bun. The other passengers were already filing off the bus as she stood up and stretched. She straightened out her knee length hot pink skirt and made sure her white tank top was not riding up her back, like usual. Satisfied, Claire reached up to the overhead compartment to pull out her large purse and waited to follow the last person off the bus.

The wind picked up as soon as she stepped off and with a sigh, she tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. Glancing around, she began to wonder if this "trip" was a good idea. Ok, so it wasn't really a trip, per say, but permanently relocating (for now) to an area of the country that was the polar opposite of what she was used to. Here it was… well, gloomy… for lack of a better word… and rainy…

"I hate the rain…" Claire thought dejectedly as she waited for her bags to be removed from the luggage compartment underneath the bus. She saw a glimpse of the electric purple bags sitting just underneath a very large and black suitcase. Claire raised her eyebrow questioningly as the bus driver attempted to move the heavy bag twice…no, three times before it even budged. Claire ignored the urge to give the bus driver a little help. She didn't need to be using so soon, not after what happened…

The driver looked to Claire as she sighed and asked "This one yours?"

"No, the purple ones are mine." She chuckled a bit at the assumption.

"Ah." The driver scooted the black bag to the side and reached for the two large purple duffel bags. Just as Claire stepped forward to retrieve her bags, the clouds above parted and let down a torrent of rain.

"Oh, peachy…" She though glumly as she swiped strands of her now soaked hair from her face. She stepped forward right in a puddle, soaking her new black flats with muddy rainwater.

"At least my bags are waterproof…" She thought as she picked up her bags and walked, quickly, into the lobby of the bus station. She set her bags down on a bench and walked up to the bored-looking teller.

"Excuse me… Hi." The teller looked up from her computer screen. "Can you tell me the best way to get to Spencer from here?" Claire asked.

"Spencer Academy?" replied the teller. "Yes…"

"Well, Spencer is about 10 miles outside of town, so if you don't know anyone to come pick you up, I'd suggest you call one of the private taxi companies." The teller looked back down at her computer.

"Can I get a number, please?" Claire asked politely.

The teller sighed and without so much as looking up replied in an annoyed tone. "The phone book is over by the payphone. Help yourself."

Claire scoffed at the rude reply. "People here are so friendly." She said walking to the payphone. Picking up the small book, she began flipping through the pages.

"Taxi…Taxi…" she mumbled to herself.

"Eh hum." Claire jumped at the sound of someone clearing their throat. She glanced up into a set of hazel eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He apologized, his voice like velvet.

The boy was handsome in every sense of the word. His medium brown hair fell just to the top of his shoulders. Even though he was wearing a fitted black leather jacket and black jeans, she could see the well-defined muscles of his chest that threatened to bust through the thin white fabric of his t-shirt.

"Its fine, I've always been a little jumpy." Claire replied quietly. The boy smiled at her, noticing the quick and discreet once-over she gave him and ran his hand through his hair before continuing.

"I overheard your conversion with that woman there, that you are headed to up to Spencer."

Claire nodded quickly.

"I'm headed up there myself, would you like a ride? The taxi drivers can be a little sketchy sometimes."

Claire tilted her head slightly. "You don't look like a high school student…"

The boy laughed lightly. "I'm a senior there."

"Hmm." She replied, glancing quickly around the lobby.

"So, would you like a ride? Free of charge, promise." He grinned doing his best boy scout impression, raising his right hand, extending 3 fingers in the air.

Claire chuckled and thought for a moment. "He doesn't look too scary… So do I take a free ride with a VERY cute guy…or pay some creepy guy to drive me out of town."

She sighed and reluctantly agreed.

"My name is Pogue Parry, by the way." He said reaching out to shake her hand.

"Claire Rousseau." She replied, timidly grasping his large hand.

"Nice to meet you, Claire." Pogue said laughing. "What do you say we get out of here?"

Claire lightly smiled to Pogue as she set down the phonebook. She walked past him to her pick up her bags.

"Here, let me get those." Pogue said quickly, passing her and sweeping up her two bags in one swift motion.

"Um… ok… Thanks." She said, slightly shocked by the differences in the attitudes of the first people she's met so far.

"I'm borrowing my friend Tyler's Hummer. It's the black one over there." Pogue pointed to the large vehicle with the bag in his right hand.

"Wow." Claire said impressed, following Pogue.

He chuckled silently as he popped open the backseat doors and set her bags gently in the back.

"He's spoiled." Pogue revealed as he closed the back door, just to turn around and open the passenger-side door for her to get in the Hummer.

Claire chuckled at his comment about his friend and climbed in to the car. "Thanks."

Pogue nodded, closed the door and walked around to the driver's side. Claire buckled her seatbelt as he got in and started the car and pulled out of the parking spot in to the quiet streets of Ipswich. Claire began to absentmindedly twirl a section of her hair that refused to stay out of her face, to combat the awkward silence that filled the vehicle. She began to watch the windshield wipers sweep back and forth, clearing the rain from their view.

"So…" Claire said, breaking the silence. "Why did you have to borrow your friend's car?"

Pogue quickly glanced at Claire. "I had to drop off my ex at the bus station. She left just after you arrived. "

"Ah… I'm sorry." Claire said apologetically.

"Don't be, our relationship was winding down for a while, we finally had a falling out a few weeks ago after…" Pogue stopped himself from revealing the incident with Chase Collins. It had only been about 3 weeks since he disappeared. He had never liked Chase and was still pissed that the guy put him and his ex-girlfriend Kate in the hospital, not to mention, ruining his beloved bike. Which happens to be why he is borrowing his friend's cars… at least until the new bike he ordered comes in...

"...After what?" Claire asked.

Pogue hesitated for a second. "After I got into a wreck on my bike…." It wasn't a total lie…

"Oh, ouch!" Claire exclaimed giving him another quick once-over with her eyes to check for traces of injury. "You must not have been hurt very badly, you look fine."

"Well, I got out of the hospital about a week ago. And I heal fast." Pogue said with a little smirk on his face.

Claire studied his face and she could tell that he wasn't saying everything, despite his happy expression. But she decided to keep her observation to herself.

"What brings you to Spencer?" Pogue questioned after a brief moment of silence.

Claire shrugged. "I'm here checking out my history, I guess. My dad's ancestors came here from France with nine other families, four French and five English. Half settled somewhere around here and the others moved to the Louisiana area."

Pogue stiffened when she mentioned the families. Claire noticed but said nothing and continued. "My mom left me a year ago. So I'm on my own, which is fine, I don't mind too much anymore. And my dad passed when I was 13."

"I'm sorry to hear that. How are you paying for Spencer, if you don't mind me asking?"

Claire fiddled with her nails, forming an answer. "My dad set me up a trust fund before he died. Until I'm 18, which is about 2 months away, I can only use the funds for school related expenses. So it paid for my trip here and my tuition to Spencer."

Pogue nodded, he was still thinking about her comment about her ancestors. "I'm gonna have to mention this to Caleb…"

"Spencer is just down the road." Pogue said changing the subject.

"Oh!" She turned her gaze to the scenery in front of the car. In the distance, she could see the top of a large building. As they got closer, she saw more buildings pop up around landscape.

"This whole area is the Spencer campus." Pogue explained.

"That is the dorms." He said pointing to the large building off to the left side of the street. "I assume you need to go to the Admissions office, right?"

"Probably. I haven't got anything except my entrance letter and the generic pieces to my uniform" Claire admitted, still looking around.

"Admissions it is then." Pogue smiled as he pulled into the side parking lot next to a large building with 'Offices' posted above the doors. Claire unbuckled her seat belt as he turned off the car.

"Want me to show you where the office is?" Pogue asked. Claire nodded as she opened the car door. It was still raining and she didn't have an umbrella so she would have to run to the building. Pogue was right behind her and quickly opened the building door before she could do it herself.

"Thanks." Claire said, her cheeks turning a little pink at the gesture.

"My pleasure." He replied smoothly.

The two walked down the hall until they reached a door with 'Admissions' near the top.

"I'll wait for you here." Pogue said leaning against the wall, across from the door. Claire nodded as she pulled open the heavy oak door and entered the warm office.

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**AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please R&R. I should have the next chapter up in a few days. Its basically written, I just want to edit it to my liking before I post. :D. Thanks for all your support!**


	3. Spencer Academy

**Sorry for the delay! I'll have more posted soon! ****Please R&R.**

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Covenant or its characters. I only claim the idea for this story, Claire, Elizobeth and Archard._

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**Spencer Academy**

An older woman sitting at the desk greeted her with a warm smile.

"You must be Claire, am I right?" the woman asked with a big smile.

"Yes, ma'am." Claire replied.

"Fabulous! Excuse me for a moment. I'm just going to let the provost know you are here. He was looking forward to speaking with you!" The woman quickly got up and headed for the door near the back of the room.

Claire stood awkwardly in the middle of the large office. Looking down, she began to mess with the floor with the tip of her shoe.

"Miss Rousseau!" boomed a friendly from the room behind the door. "Please, come back."

Claire cautiously moved toward the back door. Just before she got there, the older woman emerged and let her pass. Smiling, she closed the door behind her. Claire stood in front of a large oak desk. Provost Higgins was an older man with white hair. He was sharply dressed and had a proud but friendly air around him.

He laid her transcript down on the folder in front of him and smiled. "Miss Rousseau, I'm glad to see you made it ok! Did you have a good trip up here?"

Claire nodded. "The bus trip was long, but otherwise it was fine. I got a ride from the bus station with a boy named Pogue. He was there dropping of his ex and he offered me a ride back."

"Ahh, Mr. Parry. He is a good kid. He might be a little rough around the edges at times, but he is overall very gentlemanly. It's a shame Ms. Tunney had to leave so abruptly…. " Provost Higgins said shaking his head, then continued. " He is a good friend to have around this place."

He continued. "Well, I see you grades are above average and your GPA is excellent. I think you will fit in very well here at Spencer."

Claire nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"If you have any questions, please, don't be afraid to ask. Mrs. Jensen will have your class schedule and room key and assignment ready for you when you leave. You belongings should already be in your room, as they arrived a few days ago. You can take tomorrow to unpack and get settled since it is getting late today. But I expect you to be ready for classes bright and early Friday morning, understood?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"You may leave." Provost Higgins straightened the papers in her file, set if off to the side and crossed his hands on his desk.

Claire nodded quickly, and turned around to exit the room. Mrs. Jensen was retrieving papers from the printer.

"This is your class schedule." She said handing her a sheet of paper before walking over to a table on the opposite side of the room.

"These are your keys. The big silver one is for the building doors and the smaller gold one is your room key. You'll be in room 245." The woman dropped the set of keys into her other hand, then turned around to open a closet door. Claire could see at least 3 rows of school jackets.

Mrs. Jensen turned to look at Claire, squinting her eyes. "You look to be about a medium… am I right?"

"Yes, that sounds about right." The woman huffed triumphantly as she pulled down a blazer with the Spencer crest.

"I hope you have an exceptional time here at Spencer. I know starting over in a new school during your senior year can be tough." Mrs. Jensen handed her the jacket. "If you ever need anything, just let me know. Ok, dear?"

"Thank you very much." Claire replied. She turned to leave the office. She grunted as she pushed open the heavy door.

Pogue was still leaning against the wall, right where she left him.

"All set?" he asked, straightening his posture.

"Yep."

"What room are you in?" He asked walking with her, back towards the door to the parking lot.

"Um… 245. "

"Your roommate is Sarah then. She is new, too. Only been here about a month or so. She is dating my best friend Caleb." Pogue mentioned smiling; he reached out to open the door for her. "I'll drive you to the dorms."

Claire stepped out in to the drizzle. "Oh." She felt a little better knowing she wasn't the only new person here at Spencer. "Thanks. At least it isn't raining anymore." Claire stated, looking up into the clouds above.

"Just wait… It will start up again any second." Pogue said laughing. The two chitchatted as they walked back to the Hummer.

It took only a few minutes to arrive at the dorms. Pogue helped Claire carry her bags to her dorm room. They stopped in front of a large door. A white sign with back a"245" was posted above.

"I guess this is me." Claire said smiling and facing Pogue. "Thanks again for all your help. Maybe I'll see you around campus tomorrow."

"Defiantly." He said reaching out to take her hand. He slowly lifted her hand up and gently brushed his lips against the back of her hand. "Good night, Claire."

Pogue smiled and turned to walk away. Claire stood in front of her door for a few moments as her cheeks burned violently.

"Hey, Sarah." Claire heard him say as he passed a pretty blonde girl. "Your new roommate Claire is here."

"Oh?" Sarah smiled a knowing smile back at Pogue and looked towards her room. She saw the whole interaction between the two. He looked a little sheepish as he nodded silently.

Sarah giggled and patted him on the arm. "Have a good night."

"You too" He continued out into the night.

Sarah made her way over to her new roommate and pulled her into a hug. "Hi Claire, I'm Sarah!" Claire awkwardly tried to hug her back. She still had an arm full of her things.

Sarah laughed. "Sorry, let me get the door for you!"

Claire smiled as Sarah helped haul her bags into the room. "Just plop them on the bed." Thanks." Claire said closing the door behind them.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone!

I'm so sorry for the unexpected hiatus. I broke my hand in May and I have been unable to do much typing the last few months (I'm am currently using the 'hunt and peck" method with my left unbroken hand sooo…). I'll be getting this crappy cast off in a few days (Friday!) so I hope to start writing again this weekend.

Thanks for all the support!

Xoxo,

Paige P.


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